Some programs in Division II and III were the first to cancel their fall seasons, Now, some FBS and FCS conferences have followed in the footsteps of the smaller programs. While there are YSU games canceled, there is hope for rescheduling some.
It was announced that the Missouri Valley Football Conference was going to attempt to play all their conference games in the spring and possibly have a few non-conference ones in the Fall if some teams are able to reschedule.
YSU Games Canceled But Hope Alive For Some
Youngstown State had three non-conference teams on their schedule. With the last-minute shake-up, here are the games that are canceled and one that they can maybe still pull off this Fall.
Week One: YSU @ Akron
This has to be Youngstown State’s most important non-conference games in a while; the returning rivalry against the Akron Zips. This Rivalry was last played in 1995 with the Penguins came up top by a final of 24-10.
The winner will get to bring home the returning Steel Tire, one of the most historical trophies in division one football. With the MAC canceling Fall sports, we will miss the returning rivalry between these two teams that are looking to bounce back.
Week Two: YSU vs Duquesne
The Dukes were one of the first teams that had canceled their Fall 2020 season due to the pandemic. Last season, The Penguins won 34-14 , with YSU taking advantage of Duquesne turnovers. The win moved the Penguins to 3-0.
For a little historical background, the first match-up was in 2013 with YSU winning 59-17. It seems as if Duquesne will have to wait to get their first win against YSU due to conference play only during the Spring.
While the Dukes lost to YSU, they still finished off the season third in the Northeast with a record of six and five. We will see if a future schedule in the next coming years decides to have these two face off again.
Week Three: YSU vs Eastern Kentucky
Youngstown State used to be in the Ohio Valley Conference way back during the late 80s and early 90s. This matchup against Eastern Kentucky was going to renew this conference rivalry, bringing back historical memories. The last time these two teams played against each other was during YSU’s 1-AA (FCS) journey to the National Championship. YSU ended up winning the quarterfinals in a remarkable comeback from 18 to 15.
Last season, both Eastern Kentucky and Youngstown State were very inconsistent. The Penguins did start out 4-0, but lost three straight and at the end, finished 6-6. Eastern Kentucky finished 7-5, while it seemed every week that they would either win, or either lose.
According to ESPN and a couple of other sports sites, this game is still scheduled and there is going to be a brief statement soon from the Penguins about the non-conference play.
Apparently, YSU has been contacting Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, seeing if they will pick up a game. If they do, it will probably be at Heinz Field and Nippert Stadium without fans.
Conclusion
It is really tough to see that so many conferences are not going to have college football in the Fall, or even a championship for that matter now. The FBS has two big power five conferences cancelled. The Big 10 and Pac 12 bailed out last week. And most of the FCS is in bad shape.
The impact on the schools and the surrounding communities will be significant.
If the season does happen in the Spring, however, it is still to be determined if the games will be with fans, or with a limit on the number of fans in attendance.
A possible solution for the FCS is maybe to have a limited number of fans, and then once the playoffs come around, do what the NBA did and have them in a bubble. With the rosters being so much larger for college football, it may tougher logistically. But only having to do it for a handful of teams may make it something worthy of consideration.
For now, most schools are trying to navigate the unknown. Fall schedules are being juggled. The idea of Spring games are being floated with no firm details in place. All of it is college sports trying to get through unprecedented times. For many fans, any football at all will be good enough. Keep the distance and stay safe.
